Mayor Webber (State of City)

You've got to hand it to Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber for knowing how to drive his critics crazy. 

At his state of the city speech coming less than six months before the next mayoral election, Webber again shied away from announcing whether he would seek a third four year term. But neither did he sound like a sentimental, soon to retire politico. (Video here.)

Despite what Wikpedia says Webber has not declared that he is seeking re-election in November even as six candidates have filed for the office.  

The progressive mayor conveniently employed Trump as his whipping boy in his speech, saying his administration represents "nothing less than an assault on justice" while Santa Fe is "steadfast in our commitment to justice."

Webber, 76, also staunchly defended the city's status as a sanctuary city, declaring that "Santa Fe's values remain intact."

In uber-progressive Santa Fe that is a rallying cry. With a list of mayoral contenders mostly nameless to the voting public, the speech may have struck fear in the hearts as they wait for Webber to make a decision about running again.

Webber's speech was well-written and well-delivered. That he showed a calm self-assurance was additional cause for concern from his foes.  

The elephant in the city remains the increase in drugs, crime, homelessness and a general sense that Santa Fe is adrift and/or too passive toward these challenges.

By conventional wisdom Webber and ABQ Mayor Tim Keller, who is off and running for a third term, should probably be done because of crime and the resulting decline in the quality of life in their respective cities, but the contests have failed to draw popular personalities or any outstanding leaders from business or government. 

If Webber joins Keller in running for a third term, the campaigns may come down to the old cliche  "you can't beat somebody with nobody." That is unless one of the nobodies fast becomes a somebody.  

GOVERNOR OR PRESIDENT?

On the race for Governor reader Abraham Keyvan-Chavez writes:

Hi Joe: the type of governor New Mexico needs is someone that is not going to try to use the office as a stepping stone to run for President, be a VP pick, or secure a cabinet position when a new president is inaugurated in 2029. All governors in my lifetime (I was born in '93) had ambitions for higher office, only to crash and burn because they used all of their leverage to pursue that and did not use it to address the mounting problems in our state.

On the Democratic side, I feel Deb Haaland is running so she can pursue being a VP pick for the ticket in 2028. Her opponents in the primary can leverage that against her. If Halaand does end up winning the primary, whoever takes the GOP primary can also paint her as yet another gubernatorial candidate that wants to go (in this case go back) to DC. In a year that's looking to be a Democratic wave, this could be an effective tool for the GOP to win the governor's mansion in 2026. 

Thanks, Abraham. Agree that NM Governors turning around and running for higher office as soon as they are sworn in is a bad habit the state needs to shake. As for Haaland pulling that maneuver, your crystal ball is a lot less foggy than ours.

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